The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-14

Town Which Succumbs to Female Infiu-
and Is Well Governed.

Town Which Succumbs to Female Inf1u-
ence and Is Well Governed.
Memphis Appeal
have Just returned from trip on the Santa
Fe road, west Syracuse. sixteen miles from
the Colorado line, was the Mecca of my pilgrim
age, because here, April A. they elected City
Council of women and was bent upon seeing the
town that had made this innovation, and the
women who were filling the Council chairs. I
wanted to ask the people how it came about and
how it was working.
The first of these ladies introduced to me was
Mrs. Il. b. Barbour, fair-faced gentleman
nered woman. with an unmistakable air of bus
mess about her. found this accounted for by
the fact that she is business woman. Her
husband does a large and complicated business;
the books are entirely in her charge Mrs. H.
D. Knott is a business woman. too. l expect
much of Mrs. Knott in the management of their
suffrage society because of her experience in
Iowa president of the Eighth District Women
Suffrage Society. Mrs. Cogeeshal says they
were very sorry to lose Mrs Knott from their
manic force. Mrs. NJ. NJ. Riggs is
a quiet little woman. careful
and conscien tious mother and housewife She
has a way of m aking up her mind for herself
and standing firmly by her convictions. She
has reputation among Syracuse male citizens
for being person of excellent Judgment Mrs
s. n. Coe IS woman of excellent ability, with
enough conservatism to keep her enthusiasm in
proper check. No of these women is more
anxious to do exactly right than Mrs. Coe. She
is sister to Mrs. Lemert, president of the Sax
City. by Mrs Saxon, and named for her. She
has several such namesakes in Kansas.
Mrs. l.. NJ. Smartwood, the fifth member. 1
did not see. although / made effort to do So
She was confined to her home by sickness: but
am told that she is a woman of ability, and thu
she is by means behind her sisters in any re-
quisite for her position. My short acquaintance
with the women convinced me that sitting in
council chairs and wrestling with questions of
city polity have had effect to unsex them
whatever that may be-for these were WON
anlv women as have ever 1 looked in
vain for masculine tendencies There not
a hint of it in dress manner. Meeting them on
the street or in the cars, you would never guess
that they were city officials From
conversation with them l learned that
they exceedingly anxious to make
their administration just one-one
that would advance the best interests of the
city; and when they spoke of advancing the in
tsrests of their city they betrayed the fact that
they had in mind the city Is m oral as we'll as tenn
poral prosperity. It is said of them that they
are doing better work than the body of men " o
composed the previous Council Their to WINS peo-
pie say they were elected because somebody pro-
posed it and everybody was pleased with the
idea;" because ''it was believed that they would
make excellent oficers;n because 1.-The temper
ance people thought women wouldn't be afraid
to enforce the prohibitory law" because I'VE
wanted TO advertise our town"-this last from a
mem Der of a real estate firm; because women
would take time to do the work well and
thoughtfully." Altogether was pleased with
my first sight of a woman Council. This is tn Q
only one in the United States